The Hardest thing to say
by tataalicat
Summary: The mansion was just blown to pieces, and Pepper is in his Iron Man suit. The goodbye before Tony has to leave the one thing he can't live without. Based off the Iron Man 3 promo. Fluffy, and a bit bittersweet. For Robin Anne Criss.


**This fic is dedicated to my good Friend Robin Anne Criss! I love to break her feels by sending her links to the Iron Man 3 promos! She is so fun to fangirl with (I LOVE RDJ WITH A PASSION) and I love her!**

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"I got you."

"I got you first."

Pepper was in one of his suits, and Tony was underneath her, both unmoving.

"JARVIS, buddy, you there?" He asked the AI.

"Indeed sir." The computer answered.

"Great, Power level?" He asked, trying as hard as he could to avoid pepper's eyes.

"31% and declining rapidly Sir."

Tony sighed, "Use whatever you have to, to disassemble Pepper's suit."

"Will do Sir."

The gold and red suit that surrounded Pepper's body slowly folded into itself and removed itself from around her, and sat beside her on a cube. She stayed motionless on top of him, still shell- shocked. Tony however didn't waste anytime once the suit was off of her body. He brushed some stands of messy red hair out of her face and pressed his lips against hers. "I don't think this is a good time to have a make out session..." She mumbled against him, but he continued to kiss her.

His hands traveled upwards and into her hair, tangling themselves in her red locks. She placed her hands against the floor beside his shoulders, holding herself up some. "Tony..." She muttered again.

This time her listened and reluctantly broke away, "Yes?" He asked her.

her blue eyes left his, and she looked down at the arc reactor, "We need to go..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We need to go find Rhodey or Fury, somebody..."

He placed his finger tips under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye, "No Pep, your going to go find someone. I'm leaving." He said softly, while taking one of her hands in his.

Upon hearing those words her eyes brimmed with tears, "No, you can't..."

He sat up, causing her to as well, then stood and pulled her up with him, "I have to Pep. As long as I'm away from you the Mandarin won't come and attack you. As long as I'm away you will be safe."

A tear finally leaked down her dust-covered cheek, "You can't leave me." She said, her voice cracking at the end. She had no idea how much he wanted to stay upon hearing that, but he knew he couldn't. Instead he took her in his arms and held her tightly against him, "I won't let anyone hurt you Pep, your all I have. Remember that okay?" He said, his voice growing horse at the end of his sentence. The thought of leaving her here almost killed him. "I love you Pep, you have to know that. I know it took me a while to say it, and I'm sorry. But I do love you, and I will never stop loving you."

She let out a breath and shuttered, "I love you Tony." She half said, half sobbed.

He held her tighter against him pressed a kiss to the side of her head, "It's pretty crazy Potts, because I never knew that I could love anyone. I never knew that when we started this stable-ish relationship that we would be this close. Pepper, I just... I don't know how to say it. I love you, and I can't even begin to describe how much. It's like my heart hurts at the thought of me leaving you. I want to stay Pep, I want to hold you in my arms and never let go. But I can't...I have to stop him. I have to do this."

She held onto his shirt, silently crying. "I know you do."

He cupped her face in his hands and brushed away some tears. Never taking his eyes off hers he leaned his forehead against hers, "I love you."

She finally smiled, "I love you too."

He pressed his lips to hers again, but it was different from all the times he kissed her. It was full of raw emotion, it was full of love.

This time it was Pepper who pulled away, noticing something wet that wasn't her tears. No, this time it was Tony who was crying. Just a few stray tears, but it was enough for her heart to break. "Tony please..."

He sucked in a breathe of air, "I will always love you Pep, no matter what happens I will come back to you." He closed his eyes and ran his hands through her hair, "I don't know if I ever told you this, but your beautiful."

She smiled again, "You'll come home." She stated, more or less to assure herself of this.

"I'll never leave you alone Pep." With that he pressed his lips to hers again, slowly and lovingly. His arms circled around her waist and hers wrapped tightly around his neck. Neither seemed to mind the debris of what once was the mansion. The Iron Man suit still sat on the floor, and by now the mansion was completely out of power.

"We need to go..." She reluctantly said as they separated.

He nodded, "Just give me another minute to hold you okay?"

Nodding, she leaned her head on his chest, just beside the arc reactor. "You know Potts," He started after a moment of silence, "You have to be the most amazing, beautiful heart stealing person I have ever met. And if I don't come back-"

"Don't talk like that Anthony Stark." She interrupted, but he continued.

"I want you to know that I died trying to protect the one thing I can't live without, and that's you."

At hearing those words she broke. The tears that had dried before now were running down her face again, she was shaking, and she tried to choke back a sob, but it was no use. She flung her arms around him and cried in his chest. It was almost odd for Tony to see her like that, because he had never seen her cry. She was always so strong when it came to things, and it could have killed him then and there.

The room was falling apart around them, the ceiling was caving in, and they were both sure that the remaining part of the building was about to fall off the side of the cliff, but neither cared. All that mattered was here and now.

"I've got a lot of apologizes to make. I'm so sorry I put you in harms ways." He whispered while she continued to cry. She let out a few heart wrenching sobs, and Tony could do nothing more but hold her in his arms and press small kisses to the side of her head. He knew he couldn't change his mind, and he knew she knew that. No matter how any tears they both shed nothing could change the plan.

When her sobs changed into silent tears he kissed her on the lips again, this time not releasing for air until it was absolutely needed.

"Is anyone in here!" A voice yelled from outside. Both of them looked towards the blown out wall and sighed, knowing he really had to go this time. Taking her hand in his own he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, and they crawled through the debris to the source of the voice.

"No matter what happens," He said, "I will always love you."

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**A/n: AHHHHHH ROBIN! I hope you like it, and I hope anyone else who read this likes it. Not my best work at all, but it's fluffy and it put a smile on my face to write it :) Robin dear, I love fangirling with you and I hope it was sweet enough for you (and i hope it doesnt break your feels!) Love you! **


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